SVAA TURNOVER

County Council vote ousts SE Volusia tourism board chairman

Published: Thursday, August 8, 2013 at 10:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 9, 2013 at 2:07 p.m.

The chairman of the scandal-weary Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority lost his position Thursday amid unease on the Volusia County Council over his role in the signing of a $10,000 marketing agreement with a local news website without input from his board.

Palmer Wilson, the relatively new chairman appointed four months ago by Volusia County Chair Jason Davis, was removed in a split 4-3 council vote that left the SVAA in a state of some disarray once again.

“This snowballed to the point of, ‘You've got to be kidding me,'” Davis said as he was explaining his own role in the pitch and presentation of the $10,000 deal. “This is a comedy of errors,” he added later.

“I can't accept that type of shenanigans,” Wagner said of the contract process.

“I'm seeing here where you have a chairman who probably should've done a better job in taking care of his responsibility,” Patterson said. “I'm troubled by what has happened.”

Wilson could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

The deal at issue is between the SVAA and Headline Surfer.com, a news website based in New Smyrna Beach. At one dollar less than the amount that would have triggered a vote of approval, the $10,000 contract never went before the authority's board. It requires Headline Surfer to promote local tourism through editorial content on its website.

The agreement started to come together several weeks ago in a sales pitch Headline Surfer made to the ad authority's staff – with county chair Davis sitting in as Headline Surfer's invited guest.

Some SVAA board members later said they should've been consulted. The ad authority's then-executive director Renee Tallevast questioned why Davis was there. She also said she signed off on the contract because she felt Wilson wanted it done. Wilson has denied pressuring her.

Headline Surfer's publisher and reporter, Henry Frederick, said his site has been in business for five years without receiving any significant advertising money from the public sector. “We've been portrayed as bloggers; we've been portrayed as troublemakers,” he told the council. “…There was nothing nefarious about this, and I resent (the implication) that there was some kind of back-room deal!”

Frederick said he invited Davis to the sales pitch, but not to exert any pressure on anyone, and that it was Davis' decision to come. “Now whether he wasn't bright enough to understand you don't do that kind of thing, that's his call,” Frederick said.

Davis, defending himself, said he didn't intend to apply any pressure.

“They did not discuss terms; they did not discuss money in any shape or form,” he said. “I was Switzerland, snow-capped and all. Whatever happened after that, I am unaware. That is the advertising authority.”

Denys and Cusack argued that the council should wait for more facts before removing Wilson. But the other four weren't willing to pause.

“I'm at a point with these boards, if I even smell trouble, people need to be gone,” Wagner said.

“The chairman down there is the one that put this together and did it, and that seems troubling to me,” Daniels said.

“This is about leadership at the highest level and a loss of confidence,” Northey said.

The SVAA has a brand new executive director and also lost two other board members this week who failed to keep up with the authority's attendance policy. They could be reappointed.

“We've done some damage down there today,” Denys said.

Earlier in the day, the authority had voted, on Wilson's recommendation, to work with Assistant County Attorney Doug Griffin to draft new guidelines for board oversight when the organization's executive director is considering agreements with new businesses.

Frederick said he's planning on moving out of New Smyrna Beach – where frequent Headline Surfer target Mayor Adam Barringer was also critical of the $10,000 contract – and continuing his news operation from another locale.

<p><span class="Dateline">The chairman of the scandal-weary Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority lost his position Thursday amid unease on the Volusia County Council over his role in the signing of a $10,000 marketing agreement with a local news website without input from his board.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Palmer Wilson, the relatively new chairman appointed four months ago by Volusia County Chair Jason Davis, was removed in a split 4-3 council vote that left the SVAA in a state of some disarray once again.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“This snowballed to the point of, 'You've got to be kidding me,'” Davis said as he was explaining his own role in the pitch and presentation of the $10,000 deal. “This is a comedy of errors,” he added later.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Davis, Deb Denys and Joyce Cusack opposed Wilson's removal. Josh Wagner, Pat Northey, Doug Daniels and Pat Patterson were convinced he had to go.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“I can't accept that type of shenanigans,” Wagner said of the contract process.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“I'm seeing here where you have a chairman who probably should've done a better job in taking care of his responsibility,” Patterson said. “I'm troubled by what has happened.”</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Wilson could not be reached for comment Thursday night. </span></p><p><span class="Dateline">The deal at issue is between the SVAA and Headline Surfer.com, a news website based in New Smyrna Beach. At one dollar less than the amount that would have triggered a vote of approval, </span><span class="Dateline">the $10,000 contract never went before the authority's board. It requires Headline Surfer to promote local tourism through editorial content on its website.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">The agreement started to come together several weeks ago in a sales pitch Headline Surfer made to the ad authority's staff – with county chair Davis sitting in as Headline Surfer's invited guest.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Some SVAA board members later said they should've been consulted. The ad authority's then-executive director Renee Tallevast questioned why Davis was there. She also said she signed off on the contract because she felt Wilson wanted it done. Wilson has denied pressuring her.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Headline Surfer's publisher and reporter, Henry Frederick, said his site has been in business for five years without receiving any significant advertising money from the public sector. “We've been portrayed as bloggers; we've been portrayed as troublemakers,” he told the council. “…There was nothing nefarious about this, and I resent (the implication) that there was some kind of back-room deal!”</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Frederick said he invited Davis to the sales pitch, but not to exert any pressure on anyone, and that it was Davis' decision to come. “Now whether he wasn't bright enough to understand you don't do that kind of thing, that's his call,” Frederick said.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Davis, defending himself, said he didn't intend to apply any pressure.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“They did not discuss terms; they did not discuss money in any shape or form,” he said. “I was Switzerland, snow-capped and all. Whatever happened after that, I am unaware. That is the advertising authority.”</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Denys and Cusack argued that the council should wait for more facts before removing Wilson. But the other four weren't willing to pause.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“I'm at a point with these boards, if I even smell trouble, people need to be gone,” Wagner said.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“The chairman down there is the one that put this together and did it, and that seems troubling to me,” Daniels said.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“This is about leadership at the highest level and a loss of confidence,” Northey said.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">The SVAA has a brand new executive director and also lost two other board members this week who failed to keep up with the authority's attendance policy. They could be reappointed.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">“We've done some damage down there today,” Denys said.</span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Earlier in the day, the authority had voted, on Wilson's recommendation, to work with Assistant County Attorney Doug Griffin to draft new guidelines for board oversight when the organization's executive director is considering agreements with new businesses. </span></p><p><span class="Dateline">Frederick said he's planning on moving out of New Smyrna Beach – where frequent Headline Surfer target Mayor Adam Barringer was also critical of the $10,000 contract – and continuing his news operation from another locale.</span></p><p><em><span class="Dateline">— Staff Writer Jeffrey Cassady contributed to this report.</span></em></p>